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Coding Your Future: A Guidebook for Students

23 Opportunities for PhD research

There are several routes into doing a PhD at the University of Manchester, including AI at Manchester shown in figure 23.1.

The University of Manchester’s AI@Manchester theme, part of the Digital Futures platform (formerly the Institute for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence) is an access point to the University’s expertise in data science and artificial intelligence. It facilitates interactions between researchers and problem holders, owns the University’s data science strategy, and delivers sustainable support for the community and is one of several routes into doing a PhD at the University of Manchester.

Figure 23.1: The University of Manchester’s AI@Manchester theme, part of the Digital Futures platform (formerly the Institute for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence) is an access point to the University’s expertise in data science and artificial intelligence. It facilitates interactions between researchers and problem holders, owns the University’s data science strategy, and delivers sustainable support for the community and is one of several routes into doing a PhD at the University of Manchester.

Chapter 29 briefly discussed some of the things you’ll need to think about if you’re interested in doing a PhD in Manchester (or elsewhere) but a good way to find out if a PhD is right for you is to talk to current students, speaking of which…

23.1 PhD Cafe, 22nd April

PhD Café is an informal networking session where current undergraduate and master’s students can speak to PhD researchers and admissions staff from the Faculty, to decide whether pursuing a PhD is right for them. The goal is to offer a relaxed, friendly environment where students can ask questions and find out more about postgraduate research at the University of Manchester. The next PhD Café will be held on Wednesday, 22nd April from 11am-2pm in the Nancy Rothwell Building, Room 3A.071. There will be free tea, coffee, soft drinks and pizza for all attendees. You can be from any year of study, from foundation year to final year students, to attend. Everyone is welcome, Find out more and register at bit.ly/phdcafe26

Find whether a PhD is right for you at PhD cafe on Wednesday 22nd April from 11am to 2pm in the Nancy Rothwell Building, register at bit.ly/phdcafe26

Figure 23.2: Find whether a PhD is right for you at PhD cafe on Wednesday 22nd April from 11am to 2pm in the Nancy Rothwell Building, register at bit.ly/phdcafe26

23.2 Creative Manchester PhDs, apply by 30th April

Six supervisor-led interdisciplinary projects bring together outstanding expertise by over 15 academic staff in arts, languages and cultures, computer science, social anthropology and law to address timely societal questions around AI’s impact on agency, authorship, imagination, inequality, and social relationships. Studentships will be organised around three strands:

  1. AI for creativity
  2. Creativity for AI
  3. Creativity of AI

All supported by a methodological training theme, creative AI methods. The Centre for Digital Humanities, Cultures and Media (DHCM) will serve as the intellectual and organisational home of the CreativeAI studentships, with members already working at the intersection of AI, creativity, society, and culture.

23.2.1 Key features of this studentship

  • Receive a fully funded studentship covering tuition fees and an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (previously 2025/26 £20,780 per year) for 3.5 years.
  • Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG): £3,000 total over 3.5 years.
  • CreativeAI studentship methods training and cohort-building activities.

23.2.2 One PhD studentship available

There is currently one project available:

  1. CreativeAI: Copyright, AI and the Future of Creativity
  2. Above and Beyond the Human Voice: Interactive Design Optimisation algorithms for Vocal Co-Creation in Staged-Performance and Composition Environments
  3. Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries
  4. Artificial Weather: Mining the Language and Visual Culture of Weather and Climate Modification
  5. Love in the Time of AI: Online Dating, AI Bots and Romantic Relationships of Young Adults
  6. Sensing the Machine: Generative AI and the Transformation of Musical Ensemble Practice

Apply by 30th April, any questions or comments should be directed to the contacts listed in the studentships above.

The other five PhD opportunities with Creative Manchester that were posted on this page (now strikethrough above_, closed for applications on the 30th March 2026.